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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

'My Eclectic Kitchen' Recipe App

What's this delightfully creamy and delicious looking thing, you ask? It's one of the recipes from Chef Yvonne Ardestani's new My Eclectic Kitchen app, which features 120 vegan and gluten-free recipes. If you're an avid vegan food Instagrammer like me, you probably know her as @yvonne_deliciously_vegan. Her passion for developing healthy and wholesome plant-based recipes is evident in this app and on her blog. (see my previous post featuring her fabulous chocolate chip cookie recipe!) This is the first recipe I've tried from the app and I absolutely loved it. It's a pretty simple and straightforward recipe, but with a strong wow factor. (As in, I actually said "wow" out loud after taking my first bite)

As an unabashed Sriracha-addict I was naturally drawn to the homemade cashew-based Sriracha cream sauce that serves as the cheesy and gooey component of this lasagna. Technically, it's an 'Eggplant and Zucchini Stack' according to the app, but once you take a bite out of it you'll be reminded of all the scrumptious lasagnas (vegan or non-vegan) that you've enjoyed in the past. And I have a hunch that this may be your new favorite. :) There's no pasta involved, just luxurious layers of grilled eggplant and zucchini, perfectly complimented by the subtle heat of the Sriracha cream and Arrabiata sauce.

I think I'll put this Sriracha cream sauce on everything. I mean EVERYTHING.

The app includes a photo with every recipe, a thorough list of suggested pantry staples, and links to Yvonne's blog and YouTube tutorials. Another useful feature is the ability to search for recipes by ingredient. As you can see from the screenshot below, the recipes range from beverages to mains to sweets (my personal fave). I'm also impressed by the sheer volume of recipes included in this app. 120! Most vegan-focused apps that I've purchased come with half that number of recipes. Even better, new recipes will be added as Yvonne creates them, so there's even more to come.

I can't lie: I'm a crazy cookbook lady. I have stacks and stacks of cookbooks. But I also love recipe apps for their convenience and portability. Stuck on a delayed Wi-Fi-less train during the afternoon commute? (for San Francisco dwellers, this is an all too common occurrence) Well, now the crazy cookbook lady in me can open up this app and figure out what to make for dinner...or simply admire all the food pics and creative recipes. :) Likewise, as I meander through the grocery store or farmers' market wondering what to cook for the week, I can always open up this gorgeous and comprehensive app for inspiration.

And after making this awesome recipe from the app, I'm looking forward to cooking my way through all of the recipes. Stay tuned!